Don't be naive or careless when thinking you're doing the right thing during the holiday season

I work for a nationalaly known department store, at one point it was considered the top dog, today it's layaway program is all that it has going for
it. My job? Loss prevention. I also work in a city in Michigan that has more than once been named the most dangerous city in the country in the past
decade. Needless to say we keep busy busting our shoplifters and trying our best to keep our store from losing even more money than they do by not
investing into the chain or attempting to compete in any way with the bigger 2 chains.
Over time I've become very good at spotting someone who intends to steal, and race has nothing to do with it. I'm personally white and grew up in a
surburb that was white and well off due to GM's strong presense at the time. Since my high school years GM has shut down many places of work and left
a lot of people unemployed in the city. Needless to say I thought nothing could surprise me until today. Christmas music started playing the first day
after Halloween, which I thought was utterly rediculous. Today we received our first Salvation Army bell ringer in front of our store. After my first
two cigarette breaks I put a dollar in the red bucket and smiled at the cheerful attendant who was cheerfully upbeat and pleasant in the front of my
store, saying "God bless you!". Made me feel like I did a good thing and happy there are people who are in it for not only money, but to help those in
need this holiday season, when times have been harder than they have been in a very long time.
Not much later in the day it was apparently time for our bell ringer to have her lunch break. She decided to come inside where it was warm, take off
her apron to get a little comfortable, and SHOP LIFT! I watched her on camera as she stole our merchandise. I was flabbergasted that this cheerful,
God wishing, kind woman was just wearing the mask of a psychopath. She was quickly apprehended upon exit, I didn't feel guilty, just ashamed. We took
her information, issued a civil demand and had to inform her employers who imediately terminated her and came to collect the bucket, apron and bell.
But if we hadn't stopped her on this first day from stealing from the store in which she worked in, how much money would she have pocketed from the
children and families who need it more than almost anyone in this country? My goal here today is NOT to say that you shouldn't donate anything you can
spare to do so, but to be careful. The red buckets should all have a lock, put the money in yourself so the person who you think is a saint doesn't
have a chance to steal it. Aside from this specific example, there are many ways people can pray on those who want to do good deeds, so just be
mindful and careful with your donations this holiday season. and God bless you all!

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